HISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF LAFORA BODIES

The so-called Lafora's bodies were studied by histochemical techniques for mucopolysaccharides and glycoproteins. The results do not confirm the hypothesis according to which glycogen or acid mucopolysaccharides are present in Lafora's bodies. However, the existence of the following fractions in these inclusions could be ascertained: 1. A carbohydrate moiety, characterized by a) the presence of periodate reactive vic-glycols adjacent to acidic groups, carboxylic and possibly phosphates; b) its content in hexoses. 2. A proteic moiety which appears to be desintegrated and separated from the carbohydrate fraction by the action of papain. This enzyme indeed alters the alcianophily (at pH 2.5) in the core of complex Lafora's bodies. This result suggests that the enzyme might release strong acidic groups at the junction between the two above-mentioned moieties. The question still remains whether the Lafora's bodies contain only one complex molecule with various chemical properties or two (or more) different molecules. © 1969 Springer-Verlag.